AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal and his aide Kapil Nagar have been taken into Delhi Police custody

New Delhi:

An MLA of Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) named by a doctor who committed suicide last month has been arrested. The AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal had applied for protection from arrest after a police case was filed by the doctor’s son. The MLA’s aide Kapil Nagar is also in police custody.

Mr Jarwal had been missing since his name was found in the suicide note. He allegedly skipped two police summons to appear for questioning.

On Thursday, Delhi Police had questioned Mr Jarwal’s father and brothers.

A 52-year-old doctor was found hanging at his home in south Delhi on April 18. In a note, he reportedly accused the AAP MLA of harassing him. Mr Jarwal was charged by the police with extortion and causing the doctor to commit suicide.

The doctor’s son told the police that his father ran a clinic and had also been in the business of water supply with the Delhi Jal Board since 2007.

Mr Jarwal had said he is innocent and ready to face any investigation. He had claimed that he had not spoken to the doctor in the last 10 months.

“I have received this information through media that a doctor, who used to have a business in water tankers, has committed suicide and has mentioned my name in his suicide note. I would like to state that I am innocent. I haven’t met or spoken to him in the last 8-10 months,” he told news agency ANI earlier.

Mr Jarwal said in 2017, the doctor was named in a sting done by news channels on the “tanker mafia”, after which his vehicles were blacklisted.

“I would only like to say that there have been attempts to trap me in the past as well. Similar attempts are being made now too. Just like I have proved myself innocent in the past, I will do it again. I am ready to cooperate with the police in any kind of investigation,” the MLA was quoted as telling ANI.